Root Cellar | Annapolis September 2009
Dr. James Brianas researching and excavating the site of Achilles’ tomb this past summer in Thessaly, Greece. Inset depicts Ajax carrying the body of Achilles on Greek vase, ca. 520–510 BC.
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Annapolis Professor Discovers Achilles’ Tomb
If you think that traveling the world, scouring ancient foothills, piecing together puzzling clues, and discovering lost tombs is only for the likes of Indiana Jones on the silver screen, think again. Dr. James Brianas, of downtown Annapolis, has been doing exactly this for the past several years, spending summers in Thessaly, Greece, uncovering the truth behind the remains of the world’s most famous warrior: Achilles. Yes, the Achilles, from Homer’s epic poem The Iliad, which details the Trojan War. Brianas is a professor at the University of Maryland University College and other area universities. He was inspired in his youth by stories of Greece’s ancient heroes his maternal grandfather (whose name was also Achilles) told and his own fascination with classic Greek culture to pursue a career in archeology and historic research.
Since the 1870s, when amateur archeologist Henry Schliemann discovered Homer’s Troy and the palace of King Agamemnon (leader of the Greeks at Troy), significant discoveries that shed light on the truth of Homer’s Iliad have been made. And Brianas is adding another intriguing chapter to this story, by identifying Homer’s Phthia in southeastern Thessaly. The professor says, “The tomb of Achilles exists to this day (and much excavated and looted since 1250 BC) as a 30-foot-high earthen mound outside Troy, the scene of the Trojan War 3,250 years ago. In some way, ceremonially, we will return him to his homeland. My goal has been to locate (which I have) his capital city (his palace site) in Greece. The most convincing evidence is ancient writings, particularly a fragment from The Little Iliad, whose author in 750 BC identifies Pharsala (my chosen site) as Achilles’s homeland. Homer called it Phthia, a name which even 2,500 years ago did not exist.” Since his discovery Brianas has established the Achilles Foundation, which is now working with state and local officials in Greece to further research the site, commence excavations within 2–4 years, and “preserve the mountain site and surroundings as a lasting memorial to the immortal Achilles.” To follow this compelling discovery visit
Achilles-Thessaly.org.
Looks like the real thing and feels like it too; but it’s not. The new artificial turf field at Annapolis High School was one of the first installed at all 12 county high schools.
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Turf Toes
There’s a new turf in town. If you’re a high school athlete you may already know that there’s more than meets the eye to what lies beneath your feet on the ball field. Dirt and grass? That’s sooo 2008. Old tires? Welcome to 2009. Recently Anne Arundel County has been replacing natural grass fields with synthetic turf made, in part, from recycled tires. Led by County Executive John R. Leopold and Chief Administrative Officer Dennis Callahan, the administration is installing safety turf fields in the county’s 12 public high school stadiums. This project will improve playing fields for student athletes. The cost of installing a safety turf field runs upwards of $1 million. To fund the project the county’s school system is teaming with the parks and recreation department, which will receive state grant money to cover 70 percent of the cost. Maintenance costs will be significantly reduced and these fields will provide a year-round, all-weather playing surface that all members of the community can enjoy. Athletes will not have to lose playing time during the season due to repairs, rain delays, and related incidents. Also, the synthetic fields are environmentally friendly in that they are made out of recycled materials. The fake blades of grass are made of plastic, with sand or ground tires used as filler to provide a springy cushion. According to the Synthetic Turf Council, about 25 million used auto tires are recycled into turf each year and nearly 4,500 synthetic turf fields are in use throughout the country.
—Caitlin Wiggins
Future weight-loss supplement?
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Chum Change
As crab eating season wraps up, let’s take a look back at that backyard table strewn with crab guts on top of newspaper, ready to be thrown away. Are the crab guts worth any more than the dated headlines they sit on? In 1995 the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute challenged students to find a use for the picked-over remains of a crab feast. The results cast some light on the potential benefits of discarded crab shells for pick-and-pack companies and the variety of uses to which industry in general can put chitin—a main component of the shells. Uses for chitosan, one potential derivative of chitin, vary widely. They include chitosan-based industrial waterproof adhesive, a controversial weight-loss supplement, and possibly a “self healing” car-scratch solution. With the crab meat-packing industry generating somewhere around 5,000 tons of nutrient-rich waste a year, that’s a lot of possibility for industry—and a substantial swing toward income and away from the fees that crab meat-packing plants would otherwise have to pay to dispose of the waste. One estimate projected that the companies would be paying $35–40 to dispose of each ton in a landfill.
– Stephen Perraud
 On October 1st, Baltimore Washington Medical Center (as the hospital is known today) will open a new obstetrics unit.
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Baby Talk
Baltimore Washington Medical Center is nearing its October 1st due date for the opening of its new obstetrics unit. Surprisingly, the facility has not had a dedicated OB department for more than 40 years. When it first opened in 1965, North Arundel Hospital (as it was known) was a 107-bed facility (versus 298 today), 20 of those beds were obstetric. Dr. Leon Perry, a general practitioner and president of the hospital’s medical staff, delivered the first baby on June 13, 1965, nine days after the unit opened. The first twins were born in September of that year. A number of women who delivered at Arundel now work at BWMC. Mary Lee Standiford, an insurance verification specialist who has worked for BWMC for 30 years, delivered her daughter Dawn in December of 1965. Unfortunately, the anticipated number of babies never arrived. The unit closed in 1968 when the demand for medical surgical beds exceeded obstetrics. Now, thanks to the dramatic growth in the surrounding area (who can remember what Severn used to look like?), babies are back in business. To celebrate, BWMC is throwing a party prior to the official grand opening and wants to invite some very special guests: people who were born in the original unit…or think they might have been. Allison Eatough, manager of public relations and communications, explains: “If you are between the ages of 41 and 44 and are not sure where you were born, dig out your birth certificates, call your mom (which you should be doing anyway) or check with the Vital Statistics Administration. As an original North Arundel Hospital baby, we want to include you in the celebration festivities for the new department.” Call Allison Eatough at 410-553-2962 or e-mail her at aeatough@bwmc.umms.org.
–Sarah Hagerty
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